Over at New School Kaidan, I write a few words about some of the recently released promotional videos. At times, this is a bit of a grueling task, and all of my thoughts can get a little scattered when multiple PVs are released on the same day. But, I always try to present the promotional videos in the best light possible, and I try to remember that each of these pieces of entertainment for your a me is actually the manifestation of a dream for some young girl or girls out there in Japan. Here then is a collection of those write-ups, with a few words sometimes added after a week+ of viewing.

New faces and new name, but Rinahamu’s CY8ER (formerly BPM15Q) continues its unique electro yume kawaii. Working with a composition by Yunomi and lyrics by Rinahamu and DSK, “Te to Te” features the girls breaking down (digital style) in the broad daylight. Swirling onscreen graphics hint at extra-dimensional existence, and the girls are always just off-screen holding hands. Hand-in-hand may be the only way these fairy existences can survive the scrutiny of broad-daylight. When the sun goes down, things are a bit different. The ethereal CY8ER become solid under moonlight. Without the digital crack-up, the girls dance in a summoning ring of string lights. This brings up the question: which of these scenes is the dream? CY8ER’s second single, “Te to Te”, goes on sale April 18, 2017.

Over at New School Kaidan, I write a few words about some of the recently released promotional videos. This is a collection of those write-ups, with a few words sometimes added after a week+ of viewing.

This week, we have promotional videos from Morning Musume ’16, Bokura no Oyugi, Chubbiness, Especia, Yanakoto Sotto Mute, Fullfull☆Pocket, The Idol Formerly Known as Ladybaby, and ONEPIXCEL.

Morning Musume ’16 – Sou Ja Nai

“Sou ja nai” finds the girls of Morning Musume ’16 return to form, and that form is the 2014 “Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai” / “Password is 0” version of the group. Fukumura Mizuki’s girls are dramatically lit and shadowed in their cold antiseptic set filled with glass and poured concrete pillars. The promotional video also showcases some interesting effects. After the group materializes from silvery, Makino Maria summoned cocoons, the send shock waves flying with every thrust, sweep, and kick. There’s some definite Musume robotics at play with “Sou ja nai”, but I’ll let you fill in the connection between the song and the visuals. Morning Musume ’16’s 62nd single, “Sexy Cat no Enzetsu / Mukidashi de Mukiatte / Sou ja nai”, hits stores on November 23, 2016.